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Lab 2: Forces in One Dimension
Sheyla Alcala
Professor Kiledjian
Physics 11
September 10, 2024
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PURPOSE
The purpose of this lab was to have a better understanding of forces by having visual stimulation.
It allowed us to understand how force affects the direction and speed of an object. As well as
understanding the major affect the littlest change can have. The purpose of the lab was also to
experiment with how force and friction can change the acceleration, velocity, and position of an
object.
EQUIPMENT
These are the following items I used for this lab:
Laptop & Wi-Fi
Calculator
Paper & Pencil
PhET Stimulation website
Professor Kiledjian’s zoom post.
The objects in the stimulation (File Cabinet, Refrigerator, Textbook, Ramp, and graphs)
PROCEDURE
For part 1 of this lab, I first had to open the online stimulator and check the worksheet which had
the directions. I then started off with the file cabinet and made sure everything was in the right
position, such as, the position of the cabinet being at -7.0m, turning the friction off, and setting
the applied force to 400N. Next, I allowed the stimulation to play to get my results for my first
four graphs. After my stimulation played for four seconds, I paused it, wrote down important
information, did calculations if needed, and continued. I then had to make a prediction and did a
similar process for the next item in the stimulation, a refrigerator. I proceeded to change the
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object back to the file cabinet, turned the friction on and continued to make more calculations as
well as reading graphs. I continued the same process for another object, the textbook.
For the 2nd part of this lab, I had to open a different stimulator, called “The Ramp”. I continued to
follow professor’s directions and choose the file cabinet as the object, set the degrees of the ramp
to 20 degrees and got my first two values. I then had to show why those two values were
significant to the process and where they came from. After, I changed the applied force to the file
cabinet on the ramp, then calculated the net force and ended the lab by calculating how many
seconds it would take for the cabinet to reach the end of the ramp.
DATA
File Cabinet
Net Force Acceleration Velocity Position
8
F = 400 N A = 2 m/s2
400 2 V = 2t -7 X = t2
4s 4s 4s 2s
4s
Refrigerator
Net force Acceleration Velocity Position
4
F = 400 N A = 1 m/s2 V= t x = 0.5t
0
40 1
4s 2s
4s 4s
4s
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WORKSHEET QUESTIONS
Part 1: Forces in One Direction
6. Predict how the four graphs will change (or not change) above if you select the
refrigerator but leave the other settings the same.
Total force- I believe the force will stay the same.
Acceleration- I believe the acceleration will be smaller than the file cabinet because it
has a larger mass.
Velocity- I believe that the velocity will also decrease given that the acceleration slowed
down.
Position- I believe the position of the refrigerator will have a higher gravitational force
due to the larger mass.
10. What is the Total Force? Why?
The total force is 0 N because the applied force is 400 N while the friction force is.
-400 N, which makes them cancel each other out, getting 0 N.
11. Using gravity as 9.8 m/s^2, calculate the maximum force of static friction. The
coefficients of static friction are listed under “More Controls.” fs max = 558 N
fs max = μ k N (0.3) (1960) = 588
fs max = 588 N
13. What is the Total Force?
Total Force = 0 N
15. What is the Total Force? Why is it not 1 N?
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(0.2) (1960) = 392 N
589 N – 392 N = 197 N (Total Force)
The total force is 197 N and not 1 N because 588 N is the maximum that the friction
can push, meaning, adding 1 more newtons allow kinetic friction to kick in.
16. Click the “Textbook.” Calculate the maximum force of static friction (continue to use
9.8 m/s2 for gravity), ass 1 N to this number, and set the Applied Force equal to this value.
Applied Force = __30.4 N___
(10) (9.8) = 98 N
(0.3) (98) = 29.4 N + 1 N = 30.4 N
18. What is the frictional force listed on the graph?
-24.5 N
19. Use this frictional force to calculate the coefficient of kinetic friction.
Normal force/ positive friction
24.5/ 98 = .25
20. If you look under more controls it says the coefficient of kinetic friction is .2. This is not
technically wrong, any idea why?
Is it not wrong because .25 can technically be rounded up or down. Making .2
or .3 both right answers.
21. Given that the textbook started -7.0 m from the origin, calculate the exact time that the
textbook will get to the origin. Show your work and check the position graph to see if you
are close. t = 4.8s
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Xf = Xi + Vit = ½ at2
Xf = -7 + ½ at2 ½ (0.6) t2 = 7
t2 = 23.33 t = 4.8s
Part 2: The Ramp
5. Show work to explain where the values of 335.18 N and 276.27 N come from.
Fg = mg sin 20
(100) (9.8) sin 20 = 335.18 N
F = μ mg cos 20
(0.3) (100) (9.8) cos 20 = 276.27 N
7. Calculate the net force acting on the filing cabinet. Show your work.
F net = 700 N – 335.18 N – 276.27 N = 88.55 N
8. Run the stimulation and calculate the time it will take for the filing cabinet to reach the
end of the ramp (remember it moves 10 m). Check the top left corner of the screen and note
the time it takes to reach the end of the ramp t = 4.8s. Show your work.
F = ma a = F/m
a = 88.55/ 100 a = .8855
Xr = Xi + Vit + t + ½ at2
10 = ½ (.8855) t2
t = 4.8s
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DISCUSSION
Given that this lab was done on a stimulation, there are a few errors that can and did occur while
working on this lab. For instance, bad internet connection is one of the difficulties anyone can
experience while working in the lab, as well as the stimulation freezing and glitching. Another
error that can occur would be the stimulation giving the wrong calculation. One error I
encountered was the graphs, they were a little hard to read since the website was acting up. The
way I fixed this problem was by copying and pasting the graph and zooming in to be able to read
the numbers. I think doing this lab in person would be more trustworthy, just because technology
is always messing up, glitching, freezing, or inaccurate. Overall, I am confident with my results
and got the answers I needed to conclude this lab.
CONCLUSION
After performing this lab, it has given me a better understanding about force. I am now able to
calculate different types of equations to find out the velocity, acceleration, speed, time, direction,
position, net force, and total force of different objects when given certain measurements. I also
learned how to find out the maximum force of static and kinetic friction. This lab has definitely
help me improve my skills when it comes to knowing which formula to use when the problem is
asking for a certain quantity.
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Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
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Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
